The proclamation has been issued by the Kingdom, and a legion of 90 have been summoned to the Marble City.

The journey along the Yellow Brick Road is a treacherous one — it is badly in need of repair, and the Munchkins have run out of money to fix it properly. They may have to resort to chip-seal while leaving the field of poppies covered in an oily dust. If that isn’t enough, the road weaves through a spiny forest of taxes, fines, and fees. Oh my!

Gov. Tina Kotek has called this Emergency Session of the Oregon Legislature (the Oregon Constitution does not authorize “special” sessions, only emergency sessions) to pass a funding bill for the fiscally challenged Oregon Department of Transportation. Efforts to solve ODOT’s financial woes missed the closing bell of the 2025 regular session, so Kotek has ordered legislators to summer school to finish their homework.

Not everyone is on the bus. Republican legislative leaders view this as a return to “OZ,” as in an “Over-Zealous” attempt to tax and spend by an agency lacking fiscal discipline.

Democratic leadership counters that this is basic math, and that current transportation needs and funding simply don’t pencil out.

This Emergency Session is unique on two fronts. First, these overtime periods are usually called when the problem and the solution are generally agreed upon in advance. The most recent Emergency Session to address funding for wildfire response is a prime example.

This time, the two parties’ leaders diverge on both counts.

The second deviation from the norm is the rough idle of this legislative engine as it coughs and sputters into Friday’s opening gavel. Democrats may have to pass the package on their own, in which case they do not have a single vote to spare. House votes are always a thrill ride, and in the Senate — where all 18 Democrats may be needed — the party is now entering the session one vote short.

Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) confirmed by phone over the weekend that he will be unavailable as he needs to be out of state for a long-planned, important family commitment. The plan had been to let the House begin work on Friday while the Senate would wait until Monday when all their members would be present. But as sports icon Lee Corso would say: “Not so fast my friends.”

The Senate didn’t call this Emergency Session. The Governor did, and since Kotek established the date, the Senate will have to convene on Friday anyway to have the proclamation read, take up the Governor’s vetoes from the regular session if they wish, and only then can they adjourn until a later date.

Adding to the musical chairs, Capitol contractors have notified the House that the chamber will not be available for the special session. So, the House and Senate will both have to meet in the Senate chamber to conduct business. It is a herky-jerky beginning at best.

It also ensures that the session will drag though at least Labor Day, preventing Democrats from attending their unofficial campaign kickoff event at the annual labor union picnic at Oaks Park in Portland. Oh, and those sweet barbecue baby racks from the sheet metal union crew are so savory!

House Republican leaders have indicated they may delay a final vote on the bill throughout the weekend, which ironically would be a gift for Senate Democrats since they won’t have their members all in attendance for passage anyway. Imagine the House expediting their work and delivering the bill to the Senate late Friday, with the Senate unable to act.

It is possible one or two Republicans may offer an additional ornament or two to the bill. Their only hope for inclusion, however, would be a commitment to vote for the final package. In that scenario, and so long as the addition is not outlandish, Kotek could have the cushion she would like to have when the final vote is tallied.

House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) has been the most vocal in her opposition, making the television news and newspaper rounds with regularity. Her objections, however, must be considered in context with the recognition that she is clearly positioning herself as a challenger to Kotek in next years’ gubernatorial election.

If the bill passes, Drazen will point to the Governor as blind to the concerns of Oregonians. If the bill fails, she will point to Kotek as an ineffective leader who can’t deliver. To Drazan, this is a “heads I win, tails you lose” proposition.

While all Democrats are expected to support the Governor’s plan, Republican opposition is not universal. The Association of Oregon Counties, most of which are governed by registered Republicans, have come out in support of the package. A number of commissioners from those Republican counties showed up to testify in support of the package at a hearing Monday afternoon in Salem.

Additionally, The Oregon Trucking Association is supporting the bill as it solves a longstanding dispute about over-payment of taxes by truckers.

Kotek’s move to take the issue away from legislative leadership and craft the package strategically herself, while taking charge of working the phones to whip the votes, is both bold and risky. One thing is certain — she knows exactly where she wants to go. And she just might have a pair of ruby slippers tucked away in the closet to help her get there.